Burkina Faso introduces new biometric ID system in major digital leap

The military leader of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traore, has set a new biometric national ID card initiative in motion to replace the country’s longstanding legacy identification system.

A decree introducing the new ID system was approved on November 6 during a Council of Ministers meeting, according to the country’s official news agency.

The Minister of Security, Mahamadou Sana, explained that the biometric ID card aligns with ID document standards of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES), which includes Niger and Mali, as well as those of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The three AES countries, recall, have their own agreements for identity documents and travel after they broke away from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). They created and launched a common biometric passport early this year as part of a series of actions to assert the independence and relevance of their political bloc.

Sana said the new AES ID card will serve as the primary legal identification tool for every Burkinabé citizen. It shall have a chip that stores the biometric data of the holder and will be implemented via a multi-year plan, he noted. Children from the age of five are expected to be issued the biometric ID card.

The new card will have a 10-year validity and will fully come into effect in a phased manner over a period of five years, from the date of its official launch, the minister also announced.

With the new biometric ID card, Burkina Faso hopes to strengthen national security, ensure the integrity of people’s identification, and facilitate access to a wide range of government services and those of the private sector.

The card is also designed to drive regional integrated efforts through an interoperability system that will support cross-border and digital government services among the three AES countries.

The putting in place of the new biometric national ID card comes over a year after Burkina Faso also launched a new generation biometric passport, with President Traore being the first citizen to be issued a copy.

Recently, another member of the AES states, Mali, also unveiled its new biometric passport. Like Burkina Faso, the Mali travel document is supplied by Chinese biometrics firm Emptech.

The company participated in this year’s ID Day celebrations in Burkina Faso, and used the ceremony which was presided over by President Traore to showcase some of its cutting-edge identity solutions.

It described itself as a “trusted partner” that had the chance to make a demo of its biometric enrollment software and hardware, noting its commitment to “supporting the government of Burkina Faso and contributing to the continued development of the country’s identity infrastructure, public services, and digital transformation.”

Biometric Update has reached out to Emptech for further comment.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  Burkina Faso  |  digital ID  |  Emperor Technology  |  identity management